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Alexis Park

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Coordinates: 36°06′23″N 115°09′22″W / 36.106499°N 115.156113°W / 36.106499; -115.156113
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Alexis Park
Map
General information
TypeHotel
Address375 East Harmon Avenue
Town or cityParadise, Nevada
CountryUnited States
Coordinates36°06′23″N 115°09′22″W / 36.106499°N 115.156113°W / 36.106499; -115.156113
OpenedJuly 2, 1984
Renovated2004
Cost$40 million
Renovation cost$5 million
Grounds19 acres
Design and construction
DeveloperSchulman Development Corporation
Other information
Number of rooms500
Website
www.alexispark.com

Alexis Park is a hotel located east of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It was opened on July 2, 1984, as a non-gaming alternative to the hotel-casino resorts that are common in the city. The 19-acre property was developed as a low-rise luxury resort, and became a success after its opening.

Plans were announced in 1998 to add a casino, although this ultimately did not occur. The property underwent a $5 million renovation in 2004, following an ownership change. The renovations were the first phase in a project that would have added a casino and hotel tower, although these plans also did not materialize.

History

Early years

Alexis Park was developed by Robert H. Schulman and his Los Angeles-based company, Schulman Development Corporation. Schulman purchased the vacant property from the Howard Hughes Trust in November 1983, at a cost of $3.6 million. The project cost an ultimate total of $40 million, financed by American Diversified Capital Corporation.[1][2][3][4] Schulman's firm conducted market research which found that a significant portion of the public preferred an alternative to high-rise hotels. Schulman concluded that a low-rise luxury resort with a country club environment would have wide appeal to Las Vegas tourists.[3]

Alexis Park's lack of gambling was unique for a Las Vegas hotel of its size. An earlier Las Vegas hotel resort, the Tallyho, had opened without a casino during the 1960s, but was unsuccessful. However, Schulman believed that Alexis Park could succeed without a casino, saying that Las Vegas was "long overdue for a luxurious, non-gaming hotel."[5][6][7] Schulman disliked hotels with casinos, finding them to be noisy and distracting.[8] However, he did not rule out adding a casino at a later date.[5][6] Concrete pouring for the resort was underway in January 1984. The goal was to have the hotel opened by mid-1984, in time for the busy summer convention season. It would also capitalize on people travelling to or from Los Angeles, where the 1984 Summer Olympics would be held.[3] Approximately 5,000 people applied for jobs at the resort, and 400 were chosen to fill the positions.[4]

Various areas of the hotel

Alexis Park opened on July 2, 1984,[5] with 500 rooms, all of them suites and located in a series of white-colored motel buildings. Most of the buildings were two stories, although some featured lofts.[3][8] The 19-acre Alexis Park featured a Mediterranean theme with a country club setting, including greenery and palm trees, waterfalls and streams, and fake boulders. The hotel included a nine-hole putting green and two restaurants. Other amenities included three pools, a fitness center, a spa, tennis courts, and office facilities.[1][2][9][3] Schulman considered the resort a retreat for business executives.[10] Alexis Park was built just east of the Las Vegas Strip,[1][6] and the resort offered free bus shuttle service to the Strip.[9] The McCarran International Airport was also located nearby.[1]

The hotel was successful after its opening,[3][4] in part because overcrowded Las Vegas Strip resorts would send guests there.[11] Alexis Park also became particularly popular with local residents who would make advanced reservations to stay at the hotel on weekends.[3] Southwest Airlines later contracted with Alexis Park to have crew members stay at the hotel as well.[12] The resort's eateries, including the Pegasus Room restaurant, were popular for their food.[13][14][15] In 1985, an expanded convention and meeting facility was being planned.[8] The hotel rooms and food were among the best in Las Vegas according to Zagat in 1992.[16] In 1997, Alexis Park sued an excavation company after it allegedly severed the resort's main telephone line.[17]

By the late 1990s, the resort was owned by Louis Habash.[18] In 1998, Alexis Park made an offer to purchase the adjacent 208-unit Americana Inn apartment complex, located west of the resort, with plans to convert it into a hotel building that would connect to Alexis Park. The resort also planned to construct a three-story, 120-unit hotel building. In addition, there were plans to convert the hotel lobby into a 7,079 sq ft (657.7 m2) casino after the purchase of the Americana Inn.[19][20] These plans did not materialize.[12]

In 1998, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association held its first Las Vegas convention at Alexis Park. No other major resorts were interested in hosting the event,[21][22] and Alexis Park subsequently hosted other gay events,[23][24] developing a reputation as a gay friendly property.[25] From 1999 through 2005, Alexis Park hosted the DEF CON convention.[26][27][28][29] As of 2004, Alexis Park had 57,000 sq ft (5,300 m2) of meeting space, and the hotel had been used as a venue by the Consumer Electronics Show to demonstrate music systems.[12] Two interactive dinner shows, Joey and Maria's Comedy Italian Wedding and The Reunion, opened at the resort's 150-seat ballroom in September 2003.[30][31][32]

In 1999, the resort sued Clark County, Nevada, alleging that a new north-south runway at McCarran International Airport had resulted in noise disturbances for its guests. The lawsuit also stated that the resort's air space easement had been reduced from 90 feet to 39 feet, preventing any possible construction of additional floors.[33] The county sought to dismiss the lawsuit, but a judge declined the request.[34] In 2003, Alexis Park agreed to put its case on hold until an appeal could be heard on a related case involving a nearby property owner.[12]

Sale and renovations

Renovations during November 2004

In the early 2000s, Richard Alter, of the Los Angeles-based Financial Capital Investment Company,[12] was interested in buying a Las Vegas resort. His company owned several hotel properties, but none in Las Vegas. Alter had previously made attempts to purchase the Aladdin, Las Vegas Hilton, and the Regent. In January 2004, Alter met with Habash to try persuading him to sell the hotel. Habash was reluctant to sell but ultimately agreed to do so in March 2004. The purchase was finalized two months later.[35][36][37] Alter said that Habash had many plans for the property but never proceeded with them due to a lack of financing.[35]

Alter purchased Alexis Park and the Americana Inn apartments at a cost of $70 million. The Alexis Park property accounted for $62 million of the purchase price. Alter, through his company, planned a $210 million project that would include converting the hotel units into luxury villas. The project would also include the demolition of the apartments, to be replaced with a casino, timeshare, and 15-story condo hotel. The entire property would be renamed, and the project would take at least three years to complete.[12]

During 2004, Alter made various improvements at the resort, including a new $500,000 glass wall entrance, a new lobby, and new hotel furniture. Cabanas and lanai rooms were built for the pool area. The resort remained open during the renovation project. A $750,000 club and lounge, 375 Supper Club, opened in November 2004.[38][15][35] It was named after the property's street address number on Harmon Avenue, and it replaced the Pegasus Room restaurant.[39] At the time, the hotel building exteriors were being repainted with a new color scheme of orange and red. Alter had disliked the hotel's previous white-colored appearance, saying, "It used to be ugly. It looked like a hospital." There were also plans to add a new, digital sign along Harmon Avenue.[38][15][35]

Pool area in 2014

At the end of 2004, Alter acquired a former mobile home park on 4.7 acres located behind the Americana, at a cost of $10 million. In total, Alter had 28 acres of property, and was planning a casino and a 28-story hotel with 1,000 rooms. The tower would not be affected by height restrictions related to aviation. The project was designed by Joel Bergman, and would also include a 1,500-space parking garage, to be built on the site of the former mobile home park. The 2004 renovations cost $5 million, and were the first phase in Alter's eventual plans for the property. Alter's planned resort project was expected to be completed by April 2007. Until then, he intended to install 15 slot machines in the 375 Supper Club in 2005.[38][15][35] Alter's redevelopment plans never broke ground.[40]

In 2007, the resort opened Spin Nightclub in what was previously the Pegasus lobby bar. It was the fourth club to open in the space, and it had capacity for up to 1,000 people.[41][42] Spin Nightclub soon outgrew the space at Alexis Park and was relocated elsewhere.[43] As of 2020, the resort has two restaurants: Alexis Gardens, and Pegasus Bar & Grill.[44]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Las Vegas adds hotel, theme park facilities". Daily Breeze. June 24, 1984. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "500-Room Hotel to Open in Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. June 24, 1984. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "New Las Vegas resort rakes in nothing but guests". Los Angeles Times. October 7, 1984. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c Hulse, Jerry (December 9, 1984). "Alexis Park offers elegance amid Vegas glitter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c "Unique $40 million project opens in Las Vegas". Associated Press. July 4, 1984. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Deal them out". The Miami News. July 26, 1984. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Reinhold, Robert (30 May 1989). "Las Vegas Transformation: From Sin City to Family City". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2020. Moreover, four major hotels have now opened without casinos, pioneered by the 500-room Alexis Park Hotel, which promotes its quiet desert surroundings and 20 acres of lawns, swimming pools and tennis courts.
  8. ^ a b c Taylor, Jonathan (August 11, 1985). "Atmosphere at Alexis Park Hotel is unique among Las Vegas resorts". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Patterson, Lamont (September 1, 1984). "Las Vegas". The Desert Sun. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Las Vegas hotel to open". United Press International. June 30, 1984. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Hulse, Jerry (December 18, 1988). "The Two Faces of Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "L.A. investor purchasing Alexis Park, nearby site". Las Vegas Sun. May 27, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  13. ^ Whitely, Joan (November 20, 1996). "Ciborski has a reputation to maintain at Alexis Park". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  14. ^ Paskevich, Michael (May 23, 1997). "Local eateries awarded for overall excellence". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d Stutz, Howard (November 26, 2004). "A new future for Alexis Park – New owner will invest $400 million to reshape Harmon Avenue property". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on November 28, 2004.
  16. ^ Ball, Millie (May 3, 1992). "Las Vegas: What's New? What's Best?". Deseret News. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  17. ^ "Hotel's cut phone lines subject of lawsuit". Las Vegas Sun. December 19, 2000. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  18. ^ Benjamin, Caren (November 28, 1998). "Resort plan lands county in court". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on February 18, 1999.
  19. ^ Berns, Dave (November 30, 1998). "Alexis Park plans more rooms and adding a casino". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 14, 2000.
  20. ^ "Brief: Non-gaming hotel wants to convert to gaming". Las Vegas Sun. November 30, 1998. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  21. ^ Friess, Steve (April 28, 2010). "I'm (not) coming out". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  22. ^ Friess, Steve (October 9, 2014). "A sweet triumph: Same-sex couples can finally wed on the Las Vegas Strip". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  23. ^ "Wedding expo reflects growth in same-sex unions". Las Vegas Sun. March 21, 2003. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  24. ^ "Question of the Day". Las Vegas Advisor. November 1, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "Question of the Day". Las Vegas Advisor. July 17, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  26. ^ Richtel, Matt (July 9, 1999). "Bitter Cyberspace Foes Make Nice at Convention". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  27. ^ "DEF CON Hacking Conference - Show Archives". DEF CON. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  28. ^ Evers, Joris (August 4, 2006). "Defcon gets off to a late start". CNET. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  29. ^ Krebs, Brian (August 1, 2006). "Talking With the Dark Tangent". The Washington post. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012.
  30. ^ Weatherford, Mike (September 9, 2003). "Interactive dinner shows sprouting up all over". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 24, 2005.
  31. ^ Del Valle, Anthony (September 30, 2003). "Review: 'The Reunion' is hardly a masterpiece, but it is fun". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 22, 2005.
  32. ^ Del Valle, Anthony (October 1, 2003). "Review: 'Joey & Maria' entertaining, but it just doesn't satisfy". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on February 21, 2005.
  33. ^ "Resort sues over jetliner noise". Las Vegas Sun. July 13, 1999. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  34. ^ Smith, Kim (August 10, 2001). "County loses bid for dismissal of height restriction lawsuit". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  35. ^ a b c d e Mihailovich, Steven (December 2, 2004). "Makeover puts hotel into gaming". Las Vegas Business Press. Archived from the original on December 5, 2004. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  36. ^ "Broker alleges breach of contract in LV hotel deal". Las Vegas Sun. August 17, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  37. ^ Bruss, Robert J. (February 24, 2007). "Is $75 million sale legally voidable?". southcoasttoday.com. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  38. ^ a b c "New owner revamping Alexis". Las Vegas Sun. November 15, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  39. ^ Fink, Jerry (December 10, 2004). "375 club giving locals the 411 on entertainment". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  40. ^ Knightly, Arnold M. (March 18, 2007). "Second the motion: Harmon corridor developing into Las Vegas' next big boulevard". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on March 20, 2007.
  41. ^ "A new Spin on the Alexis Park Resort". Las Vegas Weekly. November 21, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  42. ^ Woodman, Xania (December 20, 2007). "Nights on the Circuit: Thinking outside the pop". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  43. ^ "40/40 Closes Its Doors". Las Vegas Weekly. September 4, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  44. ^ "Alexis Gardens". Las Vegas Advisor. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
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